More Than Friends
by WaterWarrior6
Summary: Travis, Jones, Derek and Claire have been living in their appartment for three years. Travis is getting annoyed that Derek is getting all the girls and soon finds out that he has more than friendship on his mind with Derek's sister Claire. Will his dry spell end? Or will he decide that his friendship with her is as far as it goes? Travis/OC
1. Chapter 1

_I found my plans to this story so I am posting it up and I hope that you all like it._

_Oh and Knyte, if you are reading this there will be heaps of extras *evil laugh* Yes I did do the evil laugh._

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip but I do own my oc Claire._

_Please review_

Claire was sitting in her room working on her history project for Professor Pine when she heard her roommates walk into the apartment talking loudly at each other. She tried to focus on her project but her roommates were coming closer to her room and getting louder. She glared at her open door then before she could get up to close it, her brother Derek ran into the room and jumped on her bed while laughing and she groaned in annoyance.

Now don't get her wrong, Claire loves her roommates and brother but she sometimes needs her space. Derek is the loud one and doesn't know the meaning of the words personal space, Jones is nerdy one who cares about nearly everyone she meets and Travis is the silent one but is shy around the opposite sex.

Out of all of them Claire was closest to Travis because they were both silent and they both loved art. Travis would sometimes come over to her for another opinion on his work but Derek, having the perverted mind he has, always thinks that they're doing more than art.

"Claire!" Derek shouted, snapping the young woman out of her thoughts. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"Sorry but sometimes your voice annoys me" she replied with a smile.

"Unbelievable" he muttered under his breath. Claire crossed her arms over her chest as she puffed her cheeks then pushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes so she could look at her older brother better. "I was asking if you were going to come to the club tonight. Travis and Jones are going so you should to"

"I don't know, I have to have this project finished in two days and I'm not even half way through just yet" she said as she sighed, "If I could I would, believe me Derek I would. But I'm just too busy"

"It's just a stupid project"

"To you but not to me"

He scoffed at her then stood up and walked out of her rom and she rolled her eyes with a smile. She looked back at her work then smiled as she started to write down the letter to help with the project. She heard someone knock on her door so she looked up and noticed it was Travis. He smiled at her then slowly made his way in as she went back to her work.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"We have to do a creative piece on someone in the past" she answered, "We have to make a project on them then write a letter from that person to a family member"

"Who are you doing the project on?"

"Cleopatra" He nodded then sat next to her and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He smiled as he grabbed a piece of paper then grabbed a pencil and started to draw a picture of a serpent. "What are you doing Travis?"

"You help me with my work so I'm going to help you with yours" he answered.

"You don't have to do that" she said quietly.

"I want to" she smiled at him then he looked up at her and shyly returned the smile before going back to his picture. "I need you later on as well. You know, for modelling. I want to make a collage of pictures and make it into something bigger"

"You know that I'll help you with anything Travis. You don't need to ask anymore"

He nodded then they both went back to work in silence, trying their best to ignore Derek shouting at them and Jones trying to shut him up.

_**GOSSIP**_

"Claire I am sick of this" Derek said as he sat on the couch. "You need to tell your boyfriend to stop calling"

"Connor is not my boyfriend" she replied. Derek rolled his eyes at her so she playfully slapped his shoulder. "I'm serious, I'm tutoring him. You do remember that he and his brother are exchange students from Ireland. They still can't speak proper English so I need to help them"

"You don't need to" he said, "You just think that they're hot"

"Hey, I have a thing for Irish boys and twins. Sue me"

He shook his head with a smile then Travis and Jones walked over to them. Claire ran over to them with a smile then hugged them both. Travis smiled as he wrapped an arm around her waist while Jones wrapped her arm around Claire's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Jones asked.

"Derek thinks that Connor is my boyfriend" Claire answered.

"That's stupid, you're tutoring them"

"Thank you. See Derek, she knows the truth"

"She likes Connor"

Claire rolled her eyes at her brothers assumption then pulled away from her other two roommates when the phone rang again. Derek hid his face in his hands as he groaned while Jones laughed. Claire smiled at them then picked up the phone and sat on the floor.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Claire?" Connor asked from the other end. "Is dat you?"

"Yeah"

"Who was at phone?"

"My brother Derek, he thinks that you're my boyfriend" Connor laughed. "So why did you call? Did you need help with something?"

"Uh… I want, I mean. Help"

"Put Murphy on"

There was a few seconds of silence then Claire laughed as she heard a small yelp. "Lass, meet at café" Murphy said.

"One hour. Is that okay?"

"Aye" he answered. "See you then"

She went to respond but he hung up and she sighed as she put the phone away. Her roommates looked at her but she ignored them and headed into her room so she could change. She looked at her shirts then grabbed a black singlet, denim short shorts and a pair of black flats. She smiled as she put on her clothes then heard someone knock on her door. Claire sighed then opened it and was surprised as she saw Travis nervously playing with his scarf.

"What's wrong Travis?" she asked.

"I wanted to know if you were going to the club tonight. Derek will be with some other chick and Jones is going to be studying so I was wondering if you were going" he answered.

"It depends on what happens with Connor and Murphy" He nodded sadly and she sighed as she pulled him in for a hug. "I can let them know that I have plans with you guys tonight. But you owe me a drink"

"I can do that" he grinned.

"Good, remember I like Southern Comfort"

He happily nodded then ran out of the room and she laughed as she grabbed a long white t-shirt with a picture of a purple skull on it. She looked at herself in the mirror then nodded to herself before walking out of the apartment and to the café.

_**GOSSIP**_

When Claire arrived at the café she heard two people quietly arguing so she walked over to them and quietly laughed as she saw Connor and Murphy glaring at each other. She cleared her throat as she sat between them then they gasped and hugged her tightly. She wrapped her arms around their shoulders then they both kissed her cheeks before pulling away. She smiled at them then raised an eyebrow as she noticed an older man sitting across from them.

"Boys who is this?" she asked.

"I'm the boy's father, Noah" he answered, "You must be Claire, my boys have told me a lot about you"

"Nothing bad I hope" she replied.

"All good things"

"That's good. But I must ask you, how is your English better than the boys?"

"I have been living in America for a long time"

She nodded then they heard the door to the café slam open. They all looked up and Claire rolled her eyes as she noticed it was Shane, another womaniser from the college. He looked around the café then smirked as his eyes landed on Claire. He walked towards her as he licked his lips then placed his hands on the table and leaned forward so he could get closer to Claire.

"Hello" he grinned.

"Get lost Shane" she said.

"You don't mean that. How about you leave these two and come join me?"

"Why the hell would I want to do that? I heard that you and Andrea were together and seen the way you look at other woman. If I was to ever be with someone I'd want to be the only woman, not some trophy or one night stand. Now as you can see, I'm busy now so go away"

Murphy and Connor smirked at each other but Shane spotted them and crossed his arms over his chest. "What the hell are you two laughing at?"

They glared at him then stood up but Claire grabbed their wrists and pulled them back down. "Don't worry. Ignore" They continued to glare at him but sat down and she sighed as she looked up at Shane again. "Andrea's at the back waiting for you"

He scoffed then stormed towards the back and she sighed in relief. Connor crossed his arms over his chest while Murphy rested his head in his hands and they both sighed at the same time. Claire rubbed their backs then looked over at Noah with a smile.

"Sorry about that. Shane is a womaniser at our college and has slept with nearly every woman, just like my brother. They want to see who can get more women so Shane has tried everything to get with me because if he sleeps with me he will win" Claire explained.

"Don't worry lass, if my boys are by your side you will be safe. They fight for what they care about and they care about you" he said. She smiled as she looked at the twins and noticed they hadn't moved since Shane left. "I remember when they told me you were going to help them with their English skills. They were so happy that it was such a pretty lass. They said as soon as they could speak English better they were going to take you out. Not as a date but just a night out as a thank you. I want you to promise me something"

"Anything sir"

"Don't let them do anything too bad. Back in Ireland they went to a pub and got into a huge fight and almost went into jail but it was a self-defence case. I don't want them going into jail like I did. I want them to have a good life"

"I will try my best"

He nodded with a smile then Murphy sat up and started to speak to his dad in Irish while Connor took a drink. Claire rested her head on Murphy's shoulder with a sigh so he stopped talking and kissed the top of her head. She smiled at him then he started to talk to his dad again while Connor gave her some of his drink. She thanked him before taking a mouthful then handed it back to him.

"Thanks" she said.

"You needed it lass" he replied. "Shane's a looser"

"Loser love, its pronounced loser"

"Shane's a loser" he said.

She nodded with a smile then sat up and looked at her watch. "I have to go guys; I promised my roommate that I would go to the club tonight. What time tomorrow did you want your lesson?"

"After class" Murphy answered.

She nodded then stood up and held her hand out to Noah. "It was nice to meet you sir"

"You too lass" he replied.

"Murphy, Connor. Will you two escort me to the door?"

"Aye"

She smiled again then waved at Noah before being led to the door by the twins. She turned around to face them then they each grabbed a hand and kissed it. "I will see you two tomorrow. Be good"

They nodded then she kissed their cheeks before leaving the café. She looked at her watch then called for a taxi to stop so she could get to the club faster.

_**GOSSIP**_

When Claire arrived at the club she spotted Travis and Derek sitting at the bar so she ran up to them and wrapped her arms around their necks. They looked at her in shock then laughed as they hugged her back.

"Where's Jones?" she asked.

"Still studying" Derek answered, "I swear, she loves her books more than sex"

"Maybe she loves her books more than you" she replied.

"Who loves their books more than Derek?" Jones asked from behind them.

All three roommates stared at her in shock then Claire laughed as she shook her head. Jones looked at her confused so she cleared her throat and ordered a drink. Travis smiled at Claire then Jones sat next to Derek while Claire sat next to Travis.

"Hey, what do you think of that chick over there?" Travis asked.

"She's ugly man" Derek answered with a laugh, "You might want to go out with someone who has longer hair. You know, so you have something to grab as you're"

"Enough Derek" Claire interrupted. He shut up straight away so she looked over at Travis with a small smile. "If you like her you should go and talk to her"

"What if she doesn't like me?"

"Travis, you're a great guy" Jones put in, "Lots of chicks dig the artist thing"

"Yeah, none of the ones I talk to though" he replied sadly.

"Well, she's in your art class so that's a plus" Claire said, "You have a chance Travis. Talk to her, ask her if she wants a drink or something"

He nodded then skulled the rest of his drink before walking over to the chick. Claire smiled to herself as she had some of her drink then heard Derek going on about how Travis was raised in hotels. She gave him a warning glare but he winked at her and continued to tell the story. She shook her head then Travis walked back over to them and sat down with a sigh.

"Can we go?" he asked quietly, "I struck out"

"Here" the bartender said as he placed a drink in front of Travis. "It's on the house"

Travis raised an eyebrow as he rubbed his chin but Claire shrugged her shoulders and took another mouthful. Derek and Jones laughed as they joined in then Claire wrapped her arm around Travis and he smiled as she played with his scarf.

"I love your scarf, do you know that?" she asked.

"You tell me everyday" he answered with a laugh.

"Well it's true" she said.

He shook his head with a smile then wrapped half of it around her neck so she sat closer to him but screamed as she fell off the stool, dragging Travis down with her. Jones and Derek stared at them then started laughing at the younger roommates. Claire groaned as she sat up then rubbed her head and Travis held his stomach as he coughed.

"You two worry me at times" Derek said as he helped them up.

"You're not supposed to laugh at me" Claire said as she sat back on the stool. She rubbed her temples to get rid of the growing headache then Travis sat next to her and let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry Travis"

"Don't worry about it" he said.

She nodded then they got another round of drinks and continued drinking until they got kicked out for the night; mainly because Claire kept on falling and crashing into people and injuring them.

_I hope you guys like this story. It's going to take a while for Travis and Claire to get together because I want to show what their friendship is like._

_Please review._


	2. Chapter 2

_**NormanReedus: Thanks, I'm glad you like the story so far.**_

_**Guest: Happy you loved it, there is a lot more to come.**_

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip __ but I do own my oc Claire._

_Please review_

When Claire woke up she felt some weight on her chest. She raised an eyebrow then looked down and smiled as she noticed Travis had his head on her chest and was hugging her tightly. She played with his hair then realised that he was asleep on her and pushed him off while sitting up and looked around in alarm. Travis groaned as he weakly slapped her hand then rested his head on her lap with a sigh. She looked down at him and bit the left side of her bottom lip as she noticed he hadn't planned on letting her go anytime soon

"Travis, wake up" she said.

"No too comfy" he muttered.

"Yo Travis get your ass out of my sister's bed!" Derek shouted through the door. Claire sighed in annoyance then Travis sat up and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands as he yawned. "If you don't get out I'm going to think something is happening"

"Derek shut up" Claire said as she got out of bed.

"I'm just being the protective big brother"

She scoffed to herself then slammed her door open and Derek jumped back in shock. She leaned against the doorway with her arms over her chest then Travis quickly left the room and ran to his. Claire smiled to herself then looked over at her brother again with a raised eyebrow. He smirked as he placed his hands on the top of the doorway then tapped his fingers against the wood, trying his best to intimidate his sister. Claire narrowed her eyes at her older brother then smirked and took a step back. He went to take a step forward but she slammed the door in his face, laughing at his shout of pain.

_**GOSSIP**_

Jones and Claire were sitting on the couch talking about a project for Professor Goodwin when they heard the boys arguing. They both looked up then saw Derek walking down the stairs with Travis behind him and speaking quickly. Claire stood up then Travis ran over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You believe me right Claire?" he asked.

"I need more than just that" she answered.

"I have the money for the rent, but I don't have it here with me" he replied.

"Are you serious? That's why you two were arguing?"

"Claire, don't think about taking his side. You know he needs to pay the rent" Derek put in.

"And that's why I'm going to help him" she said. He stared at her in shock but she ignored him and looked over at Travis. "After school I will give you the money you need to pay the rent. My last class is with Professor Pine alright?"

He nodded then she wrapped her arm around his waist and smiled at Jones. Derek sighed in defeat then walked out of the apartment with Jones behind him. Claire winked at Travis then they followed their roommates out of the apartment and to the college.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" Travis asked.

"The last thing I remember is falling off the stool with you" she answered as she thought back to the night.

"Are you serious?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes I'm serious. Travis I don't remember, please tell me"

"You were completely different. You would go up to a different person for each song and dance with them. I think you even made out with a few women" Claire stared at him in shock then he started laughing as he pulled her closer to his body. "I'm joking; I don't remember what happened last night"

"You do not joke about things like that Travis. Why would you do that?" she asked in disbelief.

"I love seeing your reaction" he answered with a shrug, "You fall for it every time you know"

She playfully hit his chest and he laughed. She rolled her eyes at him jokingly then let him go before walking over to her brother. He looked down at her then back at Travis and noticed he still had a grin on his face so he looked back over at Claire again with a questioning gaze. She shrugged her shoulders to answer him and he sighed at her lack of response.

Jones smiled at the siblings then watched as Claire shoved her brother then ran off with him chasing her. She laughed then looked over at Travis and noticed he was staring at the ground in front of him. She walked over to him then linked her arm through his and he jumped in shock. She quickly removed her arm while raising her hands in defence and he sighed as he rubbed his face.

"Are you okay Travis?" she asked.

"I'm fine" he answered.

"You just seem spaced out. Is it because you can't come up with the rent?"

"I can come up with the rent. As I told Derek, I have the money. I just don't have it with me"

She nodded then he wrapped his scarf around his neck tighter before walking faster so he didn't have to speak with anyone else. Jones looked at him sadly then looked over at Derek and noticed he was just as confused as she was.

_**GOSSIP**_

Claire was sitting by herself having lunch when she felt a shadow come over her. She looked up and sighed in annoyance as she noticed it was Shane. She went to stand up but he placed his hand on her shoulder and forced her to sit back down. She glared at him and he chuckled as he sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I just want to talk" he answered.

"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" she replied annoyed.

"I've seen the way you look at me" he said as he leaned closer to her. She pushed him away from her but he grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to his chest. "Don't try to pull away, you know you want this"

"No I don't"

"I'm pretty sure you do"

"She said she doesn't" a familiar voice growled.

Claire looked up in shock then noticed it was Mac. She sighed in relief but whimpered in pain as Shane grabbed her arms tighter. Mac glared at Shane then roughly grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him against a wall. Claire rubbed her arms then felt a hand on her shoulder so she looked up and noticed it was Marco. She weakly smiled at him then he helped her up and watched as Mac punched Shane in the face.

"You ever put your hands on her again I will castrate you, do you understand me?" Mac growled.

"You're not that scary Mac" Shane replied.

"It's not only Mac you should be afraid of" Marco said, "We'll get the whole gang on you"

Shane glared at him then pushed Mac off him and left in a hurry. Claire sighed in relief then looked over at Mac with a smile. He winked at her then placed his hand on her head and messed up her hair. She laughed as she slapped his hand away then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I wish I could fuck you" he muttered.

"Well, it's not going to happen" she replied.

"I blame my brother, I hope you know that" he said, "You're his bitch"

"I'm nobody's bitch"

"Well, you're our bitch" Marco said, "We don't care if you like it or not. You're the good one of our gang"

"Our angel" Mac laughed.

"Still doesn't mean I'm going to fuck you" she said.

"Claire!" Travis shouted. She spun around to face him and noticed he slowed down to stare at Mac and Marco confused. "What's going on?"

"They helped with Shane" she answered.

"You need to keep an eye on her Travis" Mac said as he slapped his brother's back.

"Mac, can I talk with you in private?" Travis asked nervously.

"I need to find Jones; she said she could get me a job at the café. I'll see you after class okay Travis?" Claire asked.

"Yeah, I'll meet you at the steps" he replied.

She nodded with a smile then waved at him and headed off to the library, knowing that's where Jones would be.

As Claire walked away Mac looked over at Travis and noticed he was staring at her. He smirked as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders so Travis looked over at him with a small smile. Mac chuckled as he looked over at Marco and ordered him to leave. Marco nodded as he lit up a smoke then walked off and Travis played with his scarf while biting his bottom lip.

Despite being completely opposite to each other, Mac and Travis were pretty close. When they were younger Mac always picked on Travis and sometimes fight with him until their parents split them up. Mac was always the abuser and loved to make people's life a misery, whereas Travis was the innocent one and wanted to try and help people but he was always too shy. They were the perfect definition of opposites.

"So, what does my little brother want now?" Mac asked.

"I need some money" Travis answered, "I need to pay my rent but I don't have my money with me right now. I promise I'll pay you back"

"And here I was thinking you were finally getting into drugs" Mac sighed. Travis smiled at him and Mac smirked as he messed up his hair. "At least you're smoking and drinking. You ain't smoking what I want ya to, but its close enough"

"So, will you give me the money?" he asked hopefully.

"You won't leave me alone until I do. When do you need it?"

"Today but I understand if you can't get the money. I already spoke to Claire and she can get me the money"

"Travis, when are you going to fuck her?"

"She's my friend Mac; I'd find it awkward if I had sex with her"

"Guess I'll take a crack at her then" Mac smirked.

Travis started to protest but Mac slapped his back again and ran off with a laugh. He sighed then rubbed the back of his neck and thought about what his brother said.

_It could happen. But then if it doesn't work Derek will beat me up and I might ruin the friendship I have with Claire. Man this is tuff. _He thought.

He stared at the ground in thought but then shook his head, knowing it would just be too awkward to try anything with her. He placed his hands in his pockets then made his way towards Professor Shepherd's class, slightly thankful that Claire wasn't in the same as him.

_**GOSSIP**_

At the end of the day Travis was standing at the bottom of the stairwell waiting for Claire. He rubbed his chin with his finger then smiled as he saw Claire walking towards him. He dropped his hand then as she reached him he pulled her in for a hug and she hugged him back.

"What did your brother say?" she asked when they pulled away. "You look really nervous"

"He's just being his usual self. Did he say anything to you?" he asked.

"No. I haven't seen him since he helped me with Shane" she answered. He sighed in relief and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Travis, what's going on?"

"I thought he would have mentioned something to you, that's all"

She slowly nodded then handed him her purse and he smiled at her. "You're the best"

"I've been told" she replied.

He quietly laughed then they heard Derek and Jones call out their names. Claire waved at them then Derek narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he saw his sister's purse being held by Travis.

"Hey Travis, why are you holding my sisters purse?" he asked, "Are you gay now? It would explain why you're not getting laid"

"It has the money for the rent in it" Travis answered as he threw it at Derek.

"Had me worried there man" he joked.

Jones and Claire rolled their eyes at each other, and then stood between the boys as they walked back to their apartment. Claire rested her head on her brother's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her neck.

"You know, I've been thinking about Goodwin's paper" Jones said.

"Why?" Derek asked, "He's a prick"

"Maybe we should do one together. Sometimes he lets people do that" she replied.

"It could work" Claire said.

"Hey Travis, how's it going?" a girl asked as she walked past.

"Rebecca. I'm doing great" he answered confused.

Derek, Jones and Claire laughed then Travis caught up with them still looking confused. "I wonder who she thinks you are" Jones said with a grin.

"I don't know, but whoever it is, I bet he gets laid a lot" he answered.

The laughed again then Claire gasped as she stopped. They looked at her confused then she pulled away from Derek and started to look through her bag.

"Claire, what's wrong?" Jones asked.

"I forgot that I had to help Connor and Murphy today" she answered, "I'll catch up with you guys at the meat packing district. I want one of you guys to tell me about the plans for Goodwin's paper. And Derek, don't try to sleep with Jones while I'm gone. And stay out of my room"

"Have you got naked pictures of your twins?" he asked.

"You wish" she answered, "Just stay out of my room okay?"

"Yeah okay fine"

She thanked him then kissed his cheek and ran back to the college to meet up with Murphy and Connor so she could continue to teach them English.

_I was thinking about how I should make this story work and I am going to go with a bit of the storyline from the movie, but I want to also ad my own changes to it as well._

_I hope you liked this chapter._

_Please review._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Guest: I'm guessing by what you mean by changes, you mean all the other characters like Murphy, Connor, Marco, Shane, Andrea, and Mac. I'm in a competition with Knyte to see how many Norman Reedus extras we can get. I had more in my other story Scud's Master but she's got more right now so I'm trying to beat her lol.**_

_**ElectricYouth: Thank you, I'm glad you like the story.**_

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip but I do own my oc Claire._

_Please review_

Claire was dancing with a few of her friends when she spotted Jones walk in with a camera. She smiled as she walked over to her then wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders. Jones looked over at her then wrapped her arm around her waist and rested her head on her shoulder.

"I have a question" Jones said tiredly.

"Fire away" Claire replied.

"Who the hell gets a town car to a place like this?" she asked annoyed.

"I don't know" Claire answered.

Jones laughed as she stood up straight then placed her hands in her pockets. "Naomi Preston got her dad to drive her here"

Claire didn't hear the rest of the sentence though; she froze as soon as she heard the name. She looked around the area in alarm then spotted her brother walking off with Marie, a chick from their class, and she bit her bottom lip nervously. She sat on the chair closest to her and Jones looked at her concerned.

"Hey Jones, can you please get me some water?" she asked, "I think the alcohol is starting to hit me"

"Yeah, of course" she answered.

Jones walked over to the bar to get some water while Claire stared at the ground in deep thought. She rubbed her arms to get rid of the chills then shut her eyes as she heard the familiar shouts that haunted her for years.

_You're a disgrace to this family!_

_Why would you go along with that when you know it would hurt me?_

_How could you?_

_I hate you! Get away from me!_

Claire shook her head then stood up and softly smiled as she saw Travis sit on the ground and lounge against some couches. She walked over to him then sat on his right side and he looked at her and laughed.

"Hey" he slurred, "What's up?"

"Not much" she answered with a sigh, "How many drinks have you had?"

"Promise you won't tell anyone"

"I promise"

"Come closer" he whispered. She rolled her eyes then leaned closer to him and was surprised when he grabbed her head and forced it closer to his. She scrunched up her nose as she smelt the alcohol on his breath then he pressed his mouth against her ear. "I've had five"

"Travis, I think you've had more than five" she laughed.

"Can I have a hug?" he randomly asked. She looked at him confused and he shrugged at her as he rested his head on her chest. "You live goo bugs"

"Don't you mean you give good hugs?" she asked.

"You read my mind!" he shouted happily. She laughed and he wrapped his arms around her tightly while trying to sit closer to her. "What am I thinking now?"'

"Could it be, you give good hugs?" she asked.

"You shoe be a detective"

She nodded in agreement then Jones walked over to them and crouched down to their height. "Hey Travis what are you doing, hiding?"

"Not hiding. I have the detective with me so I'm not hiding" he answered.

"What do you mean detective Travis?"

"I knew what he was thinking" Claire answered with a smile, "So I'm a detective now"

"Umm Travis are you drunk?" Jones asked.

"I'm just kind of having a little dialogue with gravity" he answered like it was obvious.

Claire and Jones laughed to themselves then Jones handed Claire the water. She thanked her then took a mouthful while Jones stood up and left. Claire sighed as she looked down at Travis then he looked up at her and licked his bottom lip. She raised an eyebrow at him then he took the water from her and skulled it. She shook her head then he coughed and quickly sat up and shook his head then winced in pain.

"What is it?" she asked.

"My head hurts" he muttered.

"Well you shouldn't have shook your head so fast"

He nodded then hugged her again and she rested her head on top of his. Travis closed his eyes with a smile then Claire wrapped an arm around his shoulder and closed her eyes, trying to let the music calm her down.

_**GOSSIP**_

"Hey, I think we got our rumour" Derek said as they started walking back home.

"A rumour, what rumour?" Claire asked confused.

"It's our plan for the paper" Jones answered with a sigh. Claire nodded then helped Travis walk while Jones looked over at Derek. "I already heard tonight's big rumour"

"Oh yeah, you and Goodwin" he grinned.

"Ha-ha" Jones said sarcastically, "Who started that?"

"No, I got something else" he said seriously, "There was this girl at the party. Naomi something"

"Preston"

"Yeah hey wait up!" he shouted at a cab, but it didn't stop for them and he sighed. "Yeah, what do you know about her?"

Claire didn't want to listen so she focused her attention on Travis and smiled as she saw Travis grab a blanket and put it over his head. She laughed to herself then he put his head in the barrel and almost fell in so she quickly grabbed onto the belt loops of his pants.

"Yo buddy!" Derek shouted.

"Hey Travis, no exploring" Jones laughed.

"I got him" Claire said.

They nodded then continued to talk so Claire pulled Travis out of the bin and he groaned as he sat on the floor. She sat next to him then he threw his blanket at the wall and glared at it. Claire placed her hand on his knee but he ignored her and continued to glare at the wall.

"Travis?" she asked quietly, "Come on Travis, we have to go now. The taxi is here"

"Screw my dad anyway you know?" he growled to the wall. Claire sighed then her and Jones tried to pull him up but he wouldn't stop talking to the wall. "What are they gonna say about him? That he's a sane man? And roar, roar, roar"

Claire groaned then Derek ran over to them to help him up as he started to shout at the wall. Derek rolled his eyes then dropped Travis and tried to run after the taxi as it drove off. Claire looked at her brother sadly then gasped as Travis hugged her from behind and muttered something into her shoulder. She looked over at him then he kissed her shoulder before passing out, dragging her on the ground with him. Derek and Jones laughed at them, and then Claire tried to get up but Travis had a tight grip on her. She looked up at her brother for help but pouted when she noticed he was still laughing at her.

"Come on, help me" she said.

"Now way, you know the rules with Travis when he passes out" Derek said.

"If he hugs you, you have to take him home" Jones continued.

"You always dump him on me though" Claire replied. Jones and Derek laughed again and Claire sighed in annoyance before awkwardly standing up. "You not a very nice brother Derek, I hope you know that"

He shrugged his shoulders in response and she rolled her eyes as she put Travis on her back. Jones wrapped his arms around Claire's neck then they started to walk back home.

_**GOSSIP**_

"You know, you guys could help me now" Claire said as they walked in the loft.

"Okay, put him on the floor, we'll drag him again" Derek said.

"I'm surprised he didn't wake up when you dragged him in the subway" she replied. He laughed then took Travis off her back and she sighed as she felt the weight leave her back and shoulders. "Never let me carry him for a long distance again"

"He hugged you last, so you had to help him"

"I think we should change that rule, it's stupid"

He chuckled then asked for Jones to help him while Claire sat on the couch. She fell back onto the couch with a groan then heard Derek and Jones talking and remembered that Travis had her bracelet. She quickly ran to the room then stopped as she saw them kissing. She awkwardly cleared her throat and they quickly pulled away in shock.

"I was right, I felt absolutely nothing" Jones said.

Derek stared at her in shock then she stood up and walked out of the room. Claire raised an eyebrow then Derek shouted that he felt something and she shook her head as she walked over to Travis. She dug her hand into his pocket then smiled as she found the bracelet. She looked over at her brother then shook her head and walked over to her room. She put her necklace on her drawers then changed into a pair of short pyjama shorts and a singlet. She rubbed her eyes then fell back on her bed and stared at the ceiling with her eyes narrowed.

_Naomi Preston. She ruined my life. She also ruined Derek's life. Wait a minute; does Derek know she's here? _She thought.

She quickly got off her bed then ran up to her brother's room and slammed his door open. He looked at her in shock then quickly covered himself with the blanket and glared at his sister.

"Learn to knock on the door!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry but this is important" she replied.

"What is it?"

"I want to know if you knew that Naomi is here. Jones told me while we were at the meat packing district"

"Yeah I saw her" he sighed. Claire looked down sadly so he held out his hand and she walked over to him and he pulled her onto his bed. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder then kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes. "While you were looking after Travis, Jones and I spoke about what to do for the paper. We're going to start a rumour about her. I saw her at the party making out with her boyfriend but she passed out. So I was thinking that we could say she had sex, it's not too far from the truth"

"So you're saying that she got raped?" I asked, "That's pretty low"

"I didn't say anything about rape, I said sex" he cleared up. "If she thins its rape let her think that. We didn't say those words"

"If it gets too serious I want out. As much as I want to ruin her life like she did mine, I don't want to go too far"

"We'll see how it goes alright?" he asked. She thought about it for a while then nodded as she got out of his grip. "Good girl, now go to sleep. We'll discuss this with Jones and Travis in the morning"

"Night Derek" she muttered.

"Goodnight baby sis"

"Fifteen minutes" she snapped.

He laughed then she went downstairs and headed into her room, but sleep didn't come easy for her that night.

_**GOSSIP**_

When Claire woke up she heard Travis and Jones discussing about how the rumour would work. She groaned as she sat up then walked into the main room and smiled as she noticed Jones curled up on the couch with a blanket over her. Claire walked over to Travis then he jumped as she placed her hands in his hair.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just checking for some bumps or bruises" she answered.

"Did I hit my head last night?" he asked.

"You fell last night and hit your head on the ground. Looked like a bad fall but you don't have any cuts or bruises. Do you have a headache?"

"I feel fine"

"I'm surprised he isn't hung over" Jones said as Derek walked in.

"So Sleeping Beauty is awake" he said as he saw his sister.

"I didn't get much sleep last night so I deserve the sleep in" she replied. He nodded then she moved away from Travis and leaned against the table. She crossed her arms over her chest then smiled as she saw a few of the pictures that Travis drew. "Travis this is really good"

He shyly smiled at her then Derek wrapped his arms around his sister's neck and kissed the side of her head. She placed her hands on his wrists then leaned against his chest and he rested his head on top of hers.

"So, you're in on this rumour about Naomi. Travis is in; we all know that I'm in. What about you Jones? Are you in?" he asked.

"I guess so" she answered with a grin.

Claire smiled at her then Derek pulled away from his sister and went over to the bar to get her a drink. She sighed then sat at the table and watched as Travis was going through ideas on how to start the rumour and who was going to tell who. She rested her head on the table then Travis looked over at her and smiled as he played with the end of his sleeves. She smiled in return then someone knocked on the door. She sat up then walked over to the door and was surprised when she saw Mac standing at the door with a glare on his face.

"Uh, what are you doing here Mac?" she asked confused.

"I need to speak to Travis" he answered.

"Sure, I'll grab him for you"

He nodded then she walked over to Travis and placed her hands on his shoulders. He looked over at her with a smile then frowned as he saw his brother standing at the door way.

"What's my brother doing here?" he asked.

"He needs to speak with you" she answered. He nodded then went to walk over to him but Claire placed her hands on his chest to stop him. "I'd get dressed first. I'm sure Mac can wait a few minutes"

"I don't care what he's wearing I need to speak with him now!" Mac growled.

Travis sighed then walked over to the door while Claire sat next to Jones. She let her head fall back onto the couch then closed her eyes. Jones sat up then Claire's eyes snapped open as she heard Travis scream. The girls looked at each other then stood up and went to run in but Travis ran back into the loft and straight to his room.

"Jones, you go see what's wrong with Travis" Claire said.

She nodded then ran into his room while Claire ran to Mac. She looked around for him then spotted him leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face. She let out a deep breath then walked over to him and he looked up at her. He licked his bottom lip then walked over to her and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Hello Claire Webb" he grinned.

"What did you tell Travis?" she asked, "He looked pale as soon as he ran in the room"

"I just sent him a beautiful picture" he answered.

"I've seen Travis look at pictures of mutilated animals and he has never screamed. He has a strong stomach, so what made him scream?"

He chuckled then pulled a picture out of his pocket and handed it to her. She raised an eyebrow then took it from him and she screamed as she saw what was on the picture.

_I've been reading many fanfics with cliff-hangers so I decided to add my own. Please don't kill me for it._

_I might not be able to post up another chapter for about a week because I am going to stay with my Aunty and Uncle for a while and meet Norman Reedus so I might be distracted for a bit ;)_

_I will try my best to post up a new update as soon as I can._

_Please review._


	4. Chapter 4

_**ElectricYouth: Sorry about the cliff-hanger, I hope you're not too mad at me. And yes, I did have fun with my Aunty and Uncle, but I had a lot more fun seeing Norman. I'm still not over it; I don't think I ever will be though.**_

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip but I do own my oc Claire._

_Please review_

Claire was sitting in her room staring at the wall in front of her when Travis walked in. He quietly shut the door then walked over to her and sat on her right side, but she didn't acknowledge his presence. He looked at her sadly then placed his hand on her knee but she jumped in fear and crawled away from him.

"Claire, relax. It's me, Travis" he said. She looked around while breathing heavily and he slowly made his way to her, trying his best not to spook her anymore. "I'm not going to hurt you" she still didn't seem convinced. "Claire? Come on, we know that the picture isn't true"

"It was lifelike though" she whimpered.

"It's Mac's sick idea of a joke. He wouldn't hurt you"

She hid her face in her knees so he crawled over to her and grabbed her arms. He whispered her name again and inwardly sighed in relief as she looked up at him. He smiled at her then pulled her closer to his body and wrapped his arms around her. She hid her face in his shoulder and he stroked her hair and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Claire wrapped her arms around his shoulders and Travis was surprised when she started to cry.

In the whole three years that Travis had known Claire, he had never seen her cry. She was always the emotionally strong one out the quartet. He had even seen Derek cry, and that surprised everyone even though it was tears of happiness. But seeing Claire cry, hurt Travis inside. He didn't like seeing her upset; he had no idea what to do. When Jones was upset, Derek would say something stupid and she would laugh.

Travis wasn't known for making people laugh, it wasn't really his thing. He was shy and awkward around the opposite sex so he didn't have much experience on cheering someone up, let alone a female. Even though he was close with Claire, he still didn't know much about her. Only that she was from Vermont and loved to help people. She was always bubbly around everyone, but sometimes at night Travis would hear her mumbling to herself about how she was sorry.

"Travis?" Claire asked quietly. He stopped stroking her then she looked up at him and let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry you had to see that"

"It's okay, I know it was fake" he replied.

"No, not the picture, you seeing me crying"

"Oh. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about"

"You're cute Travis" she grinned.

He felt his face burn up then awkwardly cleared his throat and looked away from her. She laughed under her breath then stood up and stretched. He quickly followed her lead then she linked her arm through his and he looked at her confused.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"I am going to take you to the café" she answered, "We both need a coffee"

"Why can't we have one here?" he was confused.

"I prefer the café coffees" she shrugged.

He nodded to show he understood then she led him out of her room and towards the door. She grabbed his scarf then wrapped it around her neck and he smiled while playing with the ends of his sleeves.

_She looks pretty with my scarf on. _He thought, too scared to see her reaction if he said it out loud.

_**GOSSIP**_

While they were at the café Claire spotted Naomi not too far from where she was sitting. She quickly looked down at her cup then noticed Travis was drawing something so she decided to watch him.

"Claire I need to speak with you" Lindsey said as she ran over to her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Have you heard the rumour about Naomi Preston?"

"I don't think so"

"About her and Beau at the party, she's a liar. She's been going on about how she was going to save herself and not have sex, but she had sex with Beau at the party. I saw him bragging to his friends about it and now I've heard that there were others in the room there. I mean who says that? She says she's going to save herself but instead she has an orgy. That's disgusting don't you think?"

"That's too much information for me" Claire replied.

"That's what I heard; I'm just as shocked as you are. Anyway, I need to go and pick up my brother. I'll see you in class okay?"

"Save a spot for me" she said.

Lindsey nodded then ran out of the café and Claire looked over at Travis with a smile. He quietly laughed then went to a new page and started to draw a new picture. Claire took a mouthful of her coffee then saw Naomi storm out of the café and she sighed in relief. Travis looked up at her then as she looked at him he quickly dropped his eyes and went back to his picture.

"I didn't think it would end up like that" he said.

"Makes me wonder what else they've come up with. I have an idea" she said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"How about, we video some people and ask them what they think about the rumour" she suggested, "That can go towards the work and we could switch it around from there, what do you think Trav?"

"I like that idea" he muttered.

"Come on, let's go to the college and find some people" she grinned.

He happily nodded then closed his sketch book and they left the café to head to the college.

_**GOSSIP**_

Travis and Derek were talking to each other and messing around in the main room while Claire was going over the videos Travis had done. She leaned back in the chair as she bit her bottom lip then decided to put the same rumours in one file and different ones in another. She rubbed her forehead then raised an eyebrow as she saw a folder with her name on it. She looked out the door then noticed Travis wasn't coming so she opened the folder.

"Oh my god" she whispered.

Most of the pictures were of her modelling for him but some others were of her when she was at the college or just randomly in the apartment. There was even a video of her in the folder but she was too scared to open it. She heard the door opening so she quickly closed the folder then Travis, Jones and Derek walked in the room laughing. She looked at them confused then Travis came over to her and looked at the folders she made.

"What were you doing in here?" Jones asked.

"Travis and I videoed some people and what rumour they heard so I was going over them. I put them in different folders depending on the rumour" Claire explained, "It will be easier that way for us"

"Great, my sister is a female Travis" Derek said, "Now she will complain to me how she needs to get laid all the time"

"Who needs to get laid when you have a vibrator?" she grinned. They stared at her in shock then Derek started laughing while Travis looked away and Jones cleared her throat. Claire smiled innocently at them. "What? Have you seen who my brother is? You shouldn't be that surprised"

"No offence but since you're Derek's sister, you should be sleeping with nearly every man you see" Jones teased.

"I'm not that much of a charmer" Claire said with a shrug, "And I don't want to get any diseases"

"That, my dear baby sister is what a condom is for" Derek said.

"You use a condom so you don't get any kids" she stated.

He playfully glared at her then she gasped as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She screamed as he ran out of the room then Travis and Jones followed them and watched as Derek went up the stairs so they could go outside.

"It's weird that they're close now" Jones said.

"What do you mean?" Travis asked.

"For about four months now they've been distant but since the meat packing district they've been close" she answered, "Actually it started when we started the rumour"

"Maybe Claire's worried that something will happen" he replied unsure.

"I just think it's weird" she said.

"Derek you asshole, put me down!" Claire shouted.

They looked at each other then quickly ran towards the siblings and saw Derek swinging his sister around upside down. Travis faintly smiled at them as he put his hands in his coverall pockets then Derek put Claire down. She sighed in relief then sat on the chair closest to her and her roommates followed her lead. Jones pulled her legs up to her chest then wrapped her arms around them and rested her head on her knees.

"So, who is going to do what in this project?" she asked.

"Well, Travis and I could work on taking pictures and get more videos. There's a lot to do so if there are two of us it will be done in time" Claire said.

"I could just say some stuff and do a vote or something" Derek said.

"A vote on what?" she asked.

"How much has the rumour changed" he answered, but then he grinned, "I could also see which woman is better at sex"

Travis narrowed his eyes then looked at the ground while Claire crossed her arms over her chest. "Derek, you need to focus on this"

Derek raised his hands in defence while still grinning and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. She looked over at Travis then noticed he was glaring at the ground in front of him so she left him alone, thinking that his thoughts were on the picture. She sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck then saw her brother looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She smiled as she waved and he laughed while shaking his head.

"Are we going to track this thing?" Jones asked.

"Travis is already on it" Claire answered, "Has anyone heard the rumour that Naomi slept with more than just Beau?"

"You mean as in a threesome?" Derek asked, "Doesn't surprise me. She gives off that vibe"

"I thought you didn't know her" Jones said.

"I saw her and she looks like a whore" he replied.

"And coming from Derek that means a lot" Claire laughed. He playfully glared at his sister then she stood up and smiled at everyone. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning"

"Are you alright Claire?" Jones asked concerned.

"I'm fine" she answered sharply.

Jones and Derek stared at her in shock then she shook her head and went to her room.

_**GOSSIP**_

As Claire went to her room Travis watched her leave discretely. He quickly looked back at the ground as Derek looked at him then he played with the end of his scarf.

"Hey Travis, do you know what's going on with my sister?" he asked.

"No" he answered. Derek raised his eyebrow at him then sighed and sat next to him while wrapping his arm around the back of the chair. "She's probably tired Derek. She was tired when we were working on the interviews, she looked exhausted"

"Are you telling me the truth Travis?" Derek asked.

"Yes. Just leave her alone okay? She doesn't have to tell you two every small detail about her life! You just need to stay out of her business!" Travis snapped.

"Whoa buddy, you need to calm down" he said.

Travis let out a deep breath then rubbed his eyes before standing up and headed inside. He looked over at Claire's room then slowly made his way over and pressed his ear against her door. He waited for a bit then looked down sadly as he heard her crying. He opened her door then walked in and sat next to her curled up form. She looked up at him then sighed as she faced the wall again. He placed his hand on her back then awkwardly lay down next to her and stroked her arm. She placed her hand under her pillow then Travis moved closer to her body and let his hand trail down her arm and to her free hand.

"I think we need to talk about the picture" he said as he laced their fingers together.

"I don't want to Travis" she replied sadly.

"I haven't seen you so shook up about something before" he muttered. She let out a deep breath then looked over her shoulder to look at him. He held her hand tighter and she weakly smiled as she squeezed his hand back. "I'm worried about you Claire. I know that you're in the Red Vipers gang with my brother. Did Mac do something that's similar to the picture to you?"

"He doesn't want to hurt me. Surprisingly Mac is nice to me even with his flirting" she answered.

"So he never hurt you?" he asked.

"No" he sighed in relief but she frowned. "What if he tries something like that on me Travis?"

"Marco wouldn't let it happen" he said, "Besides, you know how protective that gang is of you. Mac was almost going to kill Shane for just touching your shoulder"

"Can you stay with me tonight?" she asked.

"Sure. Just let me get changed" he answered.

She smiled at him then he let go of her hand and walked over to his room. Claire closed her eyes but they snapped open when she saw the picture again. She shook her head then brought her hands close to her chest and let out a shaky breath. She heard her door open then the right side of her bed dipped down and Travis stroked her arm again. He sighed as he moved closer to her then wrapped his arm around her waist and she quickly grabbed his hand.

"Travis? Are you nervous about sleeping with me?" she asked quietly.

"A bit" he answered, "The only time we've slept together was when we were drunk"

"You don't have to if you don't want to. If it feels awkward just let me know"

"I want to stay"

She nodded then he placed his free arm under her neck and she smiled at him. He nervously returned the smile then she faced her wall again and closed her eyes. Travis hid his face in her shoulder then held Claire's hand tighter and they both fell asleep.

_**GOSSIP**_

"Okay, something is going on between those two" Derek said, "Travis never snaps"

"Maybe it's something to do with Mac" Jones suggested, "I mean, he came here this morning and spoke with Travis and he screamed. Travis never screams and then he wouldn't tell me what it was. Then I heard Claire scream"

"I never liked Mac" he said as he sat on the couch, "I mean I know that he's a drug addict and in the Red Vipers gang. But I don't trust him. I swear that he used to hit Travis when he was a kid. And now, with the way he's looking at Claire. Maybe I should stay near her now to make sure she's safe"

"No matter what you do, Mac will keep looking at Claire" Jones said.

"I want to be a better brother for her you know?" he replied.

She looked at him sadly then he hid his face in his hands and sighed. Jones rubbed his back then he sat up and raised an eyebrow as he saw something on the floor. He stood up then walked over to it and realised it was a picture. He turned it over so he could see the picture then his eyes went wide with horror and he let out a gasp.

"Derek, what is it?" Jones asked worried.

"I think. I think it's my sister" he answered confused.

"What do you mean you think?" she asked.

"I can't really tell, but it looks like her face. That's the only thing I can recognise" he answered.

"Let me take a look" she said. Derek handed her the picture and her eyes went wide and she placed her hand over her mouth. "That's horrible"

The picture was of Claire with her hands tied up by a rope to the ceiling. From the shoulders down all her skin and been peeled off so her body was a bright red colour and bleeding. Her mouth was covered in blood that fell onto her chin but as Jones looked closer she realised that Claire's lips were torn off. She was naked and had been gutted so her intestines were hanging out and almost touching the ground. All her finger and toe nails were gone and her ankles had been cut, so her feet were almost detached.

"It was Mac" Derek growled, "He's the sick son of a bitch who did this to her"

"Derek, I can't believe I'm about to say this but I think you're right" Jones whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"Mac is behind her" she answered, "He's got a knife in his hand"

"How can you tell its Mac?" he asked.

"Well I don't think it's Travis" she answered as she handed him the picture.

"I don't want to see that picture!" he shouted, "Burn it Jones! I want you to fucking burn it!"

She nodded fearfully then ran over to the kitchen and burnt the picture while Derek went to his sister's room. He let out a deep breath then opened the door with a glare but stopped when he saw her asleep with Travis. He walked over to them then crouched in front of his sister and saw tear stains on her cheeks. He looked at her sadly then pushed some hair out of her face then kissed her forehead. She moved closer to Travis and Derek smiled as he saw Travis tighten his grip. He stood up then walked out of the room and quietly closed the door.

"Derek, what's going on?" Jones asked.

"I'm going to talk to Mac" he answered, "I want to know why the fuck he gave my baby sister that picture!"

"Why don't you just talk to him tomorrow?" she asked.

"No, I'm pissed off now and I want him to pay" he growled.

_I know there doesn't seem like that much in this chapter but the next one will have a lot in it._

_Please check out my other story, The New Daywalker. It's a Blade story but you will have to read Scud's Master first to understand it._

_Please review._


	5. Chapter 5

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip but I do own my oc Claire._

_Please review_

Claire woke up to the sound of her brother shouting and she groaned as she opened her eyes. She looked around then noticed Travis wasn't with her so she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She got out of bed then walked out of her room and noticed Derek was glaring at Travis. Claire looked around for Jones but didn't see her so she sat on the couch and watched the boys argue with each other.

"You need to make sure that your brother stays away from my sister" Derek said.

"I can't do that" Travis replied, "Mac isn't one to take orders seriously"

"Then tell me where the fuck he lives" he growled.

"I don't know" he answered, "He doesn't tell me these things. We don't have a close relationship like you and Claire"

"Okay, I'm confused" Claire said as she stood up, "What's going on?"

"I need to get some fresh air" Derek said as he stormed out of the apartment.

Claire looked over at Travis and he sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He walked over to her then sat on the couch and she rested her head on his shoulder. He hesitated then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she let out a deep breath. Travis rubbed her arm then Jones walked over to them and waved with a small yawn.

"Morning" she said.

"Someone had a late night" Claire joked.

"I had to try and get your stupid brother to calm down" Jones replied. Claire looked at her confused then looked up at Travis and noticed he was just as confused as she was. Jones sighed then sat on the ground in front of them and sat Indian style. "After you two had your episodes last night, Derek got angry. I'm surprised you two didn't hear him yelling until two in the morning"

"What do you mean episodes?" Claire asked confused.

"I kind of snapped last night" Travis answered, "I told Derek to leave you alone and stay out of your business"

Claire nodded then realised what he said and gasped. "You snapped at Derek? And you're still alive?"

"As soon as I left I thought he was going to strangle me" he said with a small smile, "I got pretty scared"

Both girls laughed and he looked down shyly. Claire smiled at him as she rubbed his back then he cleared his throat before standing up. Jones looked at him confused then he whispered something in Claire's ear before going to his room. She stared at him in shock then Jones sat on the couch and looked over at her female roommate.

"Is there something going on between you and Travis?" she asked.

"No" Claire answered.

"Are you sure? Because you two have been a bit closer than usual and even Derek has noticed it" Jones said.

"Whenever I get close with a male Derek always thinks that I'm sleeping with him" Claire sighed, "You know, just once I would like to know what it's like to have a normal brother who doesn't take everything wrong and doesn't have a dirty mind. Is that too much to ask for?"

Jones smiled at her then Claire told her she wanted to work on the rumour before heading to her room.

_**GOSSIP**_

Derek was pacing the empty car park near the apartment when he heard footsteps behind him. He looked over his shoulder then narrowed his eyes as he spotted Mac walking towards him. He clenched his fists in anger and Mac grinned as he licked his lip. Derek growled then stormed up to him but stopped when he spotted the rest of the Red Vipers behind him.

"What? You can't go anywhere without your little gang?" he asked annoyed.

"They wanted to watch" Mac answered calmly, "You see, my boys here they want to see you suffer"

"I haven't done anything to you guys" Derek said, "You're the one who gave my sister that disgusting picture. You're one sick man Mac"

"I just love to make my brother squirm. It's a sibling thing, surely you understand that"

"I would never do something like that to Claire"

Mac nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest then looked over at the gang and told them to leave. They nodded then left and Mac looked over at Derek again. He walked closer to him then they started to walk around in a circle, making sure to never take their eyes off each other. Mac took a threatening step forward and laughed as he saw Derek jump back.

"You scared Webb?" he teased.

"Not of you" he answered.

"You suck at lying" Mac stated. Derek narrowed his eyes but Mac ignored him and continued. "Your sister is a better liar than you. Fuck, I probably know more about her than you do"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You won't get answers that easily" Mac answered.

Derek growled then before he could register what happened, Mac had tackled him to the ground and punched him in the jaw. He weakly pushed him off then went to kick him in the gut but Mac grabbed his ankles. Derek tried to get his ankles free but that only made Mac tighten his grip. He chuckled evilly then dragged Derek along the rough pavement and Derek groaned in pain as he felt his back get scrapped from it. He looked around for something to grab then spotted a window open so he yelled out for help.

Mac stopped dragging Derek then covered his mouth and looked around in alarm. Derek bit his hand but Mac only grinned at him and shook his head while pinning the younger man to the ground.

"I've had all kinds of people try to fight me" he said, "I'm used to the pain. But it makes me wonder, what kind of fighter would your sister be?" Derek growled something at him from under his hand and Mac chuckled as he leaned closer. "What was that?"

"I said, if you dare touch my sister I will kill you" Derek said once Mac removed his hand.

"I don't think she'd fight me. You see, Claire and I have this small understanding. I promised her I'd protect her and she can repay me any way she wants. She's a pretty good fuck. Nice firm tits and a perfect round ass. It's great to grab as I fuck her against the wall. And that mouth, oh wow. She sure knows how to please a man"

Derek screamed in anger then pushed Mac off him and punched him in the nose. Mac laughed as he stood up then just as Derek was about to hit him again, they heard sirens coming their way. Derek looked around then saw Mac running off and he scoffed to himself.

"You're a coward Mac!" he shouted, "I'm going to kill you!"

_**GOSSIP**_

"What the hell happened to you?" Claire asked as she saw her brother.

"I had a talk with your boyfriend" he answered.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you Derek, but Connor is not my boyfriend. And he wouldn't hit you unless he had a reason"

"Not Connor. I'm talking about Mac"

"What gave you the impression that I'm going out with him?" Claire asked in disgust.

"Just some shit he said" he sighed.

She nodded, not fully believing him, and then waved at Lindsey as she walked over to them. Lindsey smiled at Derek and he nodded at her with a wink. Claire rolled her eyes as Lindsey giggled then told Derek that Jones was looking for him and he nodded before walking off. Claire sighed in relief then Lindsey took the spot where Derek was just sitting and looked at Claire with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Claire looked at her confused then she noticed other people around her from the college were glaring at her so she looked back over at Lindsey.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We all know Claire" Lindsey answered.

"Know what?"

"About you, Little Miss Innocent Claire Webb and Mac Johnson" Claire continued to look at her confused and Lindsey sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "Don't act so confused. I never would have thought you would do something like that"

"Lindsey, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about" Claire said.

"All I know is, I came to school this morning and people are going on about how you're Mac's personal whore. Man, I thought Naomi was a whore since that night at the party but you. Everyone is shocked"

"I am nobody's whore. Who the hell told you this?"

"No one, it was just randomly around the school" Lindsey answered.

"This is bullshit! No wonder everyone was fucking glaring at me today!" Claire snapped.

"Whoa Claire, calm down"

"Do not tell me to calm down! Just because Derek Webb is my brother, does not mean that I am the same as him"

Everyone stared at her then she growled and stormed out of the café and headed towards the college to see if Mac was around. She heard people talking about her in disgust then heard someone call out her name. She sighed in annoyance then looked over her shoulder and slightly relaxed whens she noticed it was Connor and Murphy. They walked over to her then Claire spotted some people whispering so she motioned for the boys to follow her.

When Claire reached the park she sat down at a worn out wooden table and the boys joined her. She ran her hand through her hair then felt one of the twins grab her other hand so she looked up and weakly smiled as she noticed it was Connor. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb then she grabbed Murphy's hand and he did the same action as his brother.

"What wrong lass?" Connor asked.

"There's a rumour going on about me" she answered.

"Rumour?" he asked confused.

"It's what people call a lie" she explained, "Well, sometimes it is a lie and other times it's the truth. But this one is a lie"

"What is this rumour?" Murphy asked.

"People are saying that I am a personal whore to someone" she answered sadly, "A guy named Mac Johnson"

"Why are they saying that?" Connor asked.

"People are really mean to others. The problem is, I don't know who would start this rumour"

"We can help" Murphy said.

She smiled as she quietly thanked them then pulled her hands away from them and wiped away the tears in her eyes. She let out a deep breath but the tears kept on coming so she hid her face in her hands so Connor and Murphy wouldn't see her cry.

Murphy looked at Claire sadly then looked over at his brother and noticed he was glaring at the table. He nudged his brother's leg so Connor looked over at him and nodded, understanding that his brother wanted to help her.

Even though Connor and Murphy had only known Claire for a few months, they had considered her their best friend. They even once told her that she was like a little sister to them and had taken her to their uncle's bar to "traditionally" bring her into the family. Doc took a liking to her straight away. Claire easily fit in with the brothers. Whenever they got into an argument about a movie, Claire would always come up with something that would distract them.

"Lass, we want to help you" Connor said.

"How can you help me?" she asked.

"We'll find a way" he answered.

"Aye" Murphy agreed.

"Thank you" she whispered.

They nodded at her then sat on each side of her and she grabbed their hands tightly as she let out a deep breath. The twins stroked the back of her hands with their thumbs and she closed her eyes before resting her head on the table.

_**GOSSIP**_

"This is so frustrating" Claire groaned.

"Have you found out who started the rumour yet?" Travis asked from the computer.

"No, it just started. Nobody knows who it came from" she answered. He looked over at her and she sighed as she fell back on his bed. "It feels like some stupid karma thing. I help with the rumour about Naomi and then this happens"

"Maybe it's Mac's way of protecting you?" he suggested. She shook her head with a scoff.

"Even though it sounds like something he would say, he wouldn't say that about me. It would be more like sex kitten"

Travis nodded in agreement then they both looked around confused as they heard a glass break from the kitchen. Claire went to walk out of the room but stopped when Travis grabbed her wrist. She looked over her shoulder to look at him and felt her face burn up slightly as she saw Travis lick his lips.

"Don't go out there" he said.

"Why?" she asked.

He went to respond but stopped as they heard Jones moan, and Claire went pale. "Do you see now?

"Man that's gross" she whined, "I know I joked around about those two having sex, but I never meant it. Hell, even if I did I didn't want them to have sex with us two in the apartment"

"We just have to try and ignore them" he said quietly.

"Easier said than done" she muttered bitterly.

"Come on, let's work on these pictures" he replied.

She nodded then pulled up a seat next to him and watched as he worked on the picture of Naomi being dragged into the meat packing district by Beau. She sighed as she rested her head on her hand then noticed Travis kept on glancing at her and shifting in his seat. She looked at him confused then clenched her jaw as she heard Jones and Derek in the other room. She angrily stood up then started to pace the room and Travis sighed.

He didn't know if it was just him, but he thought Derek and Jones were getting louder. He wasn't even sure if they knew that he and Claire were still in the apartment and that made him slightly angry. Derek was always the one getting laid. Woman would latterly push Travis out of the way, just to get to Derek and that annoyed him. Jones and Claire would say that chicks like shy artists, but Travis hadn't met one that did. He had tried to talk to them but he would always get nervous and sometimes stutter.

"Hey, Travis what do you think?" Claire asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yes" he answered.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief, "You really think Derek and Jones look good together?"

"No" he answered quickly, "No. I'm just saying that it would be cool if you and Jones became sisters?" he wasn't sure where he was going with the conversation. "I mean, what if we all got related?"

"So Derek and Jones got married and then we got married?" she asked.

"I don't, I didn't mean it like that"

"Is there something wrong with me?" she snapped. He shook his head quickly and she growled deep in her throat and glared at him. "Please tell me Travis. I want to know what makes me so disgusting in your eyes. Is it because I'm a personal whore to your brother? Can you not look at me properly because of that picture? That picture was a fake Travis, as you said it was Mac's sick idea of a joke"

"You're not disgusting" he muttered nervously. She crossed her arms over her chest and he sighed while gently grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her body. "I don't think that you're disgusting. You're really pretty and we both know that you're not my brother's personal whore. You wouldn't lower yourself to that. You're too nice, you know like an angel. He's like the devil so it doesn't work out. I know how Mac thinks and everything he would want to do to you wouldn't be what you're used to and I don't want you to get hurt. I care about you too much to watch you get hu-"

Before he could finish his sentence though Claire placed her lips against his and he froze. She pulled away after a few seconds and smiled at him. "You talk too much"

"Did you just kiss me?" he asked, shocked that he got kissed.

"Yeah" she answered shyly.

He smiled then pulled her into his body and kissed her again. She laughed against his mouth then kissed him back and placed her hands on his shoulders. Travis placed his hands on her hips then pushed her onto his bed and she pulled away from him. He looked at her confused then rubbed his chin with his right hand as he saw her undoing her top. He let out a deep breath then crawled over her and started to kiss down her chest once the top was gone. Claire dug her hands in his hair then pulled him up and rested her forehead against his own.

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

"You and I both need to get laid" she answered as she unzipped his coveralls, "It could also be a good distraction from out there"

He nodded in agreement then made her laugh as he hurriedly tried to remove his clothes.

_Sorry it took a while to update I've had really bad writers block. I don't like it lol._

_I'm also working on The New Daywalker so my updates for this story might take longer than usual._

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter please review._


	6. Chapter 6

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip but I do own my oc Claire._

_Please review_

"Come on please?" Claire begged.

"No" Derek laughed, "You do realise you look pathetic right now don't ya?"

"But I look nothing like you" she replied with a grin.

He stared at her in shock then smirked and charged at her. She screamed as she ran away from him while laughing but stopped as she ran into someone's chest and fell on the ground. She looked up in alarm then grinned as she realised it was Travis. He smiled as he helped her up then she hid behind him and grabbed his arms so he was standing between her and Derek. He looked between the two siblings confused then gasped as Claire pulled him into her chest and started to walk backwards and out the apartment, while keeping an eye on her brother.

When Claire was sure Derek wasn't following them she let go of Travis and sighed in relief. Travis looked over at her nervously then looked at the ground while playing with the ends of his sleeves. He couldn't really look at her now that they were alone. His thoughts kept on going back to the previous night. All he could see was her naked and moaning underneath him as he pounded in her.

"Yo, Travis" Claire said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just because we slept together last night, doesn't mean you have to get all nervous on me when we're together" she answered, "You don't see Derek and Jones acting all weird around each other"

"I'm not like Derek though" he replied.

"I would hope not. It's bad enough that we have one Derek Webb at the college, we don't want another one. The women wouldn't be safe"

He weakly smiled at her and she laughed while gently punching his arm. He gently nudged her then they heard Mac calling out her name. Claire sighed in annoyance while hiding her face in her hands then Mac walked over to them and placed his hands on her hips. Travis shook his head at his brother and Mac laughed while pulling Claire closer to his chest.

"I am hearing an interesting rumour about you girl" he said. Claire rolled her eyes and Mac chuckled while stroking her hair. "Something about you being my personal whore"

"We both know that it's not true Mac" she said.

"We could make it true" he purred.

"I'm afraid you would like that too much"

He laughed as he roughly kissed the back of her head then looked up and scoffed as he saw Derek glaring at him. Mac wrapped his arm around Claire's shoulders then pulled her into his chest and she looked up at him confused.

"I'll see you later babe" he said.

She nodded then before she could reply he kissed her. Her eyes went wide with shock then he pulled away and winked at her. Derek pulled his sister away then Mac walked off with a smirk. Claire sighed then looked over at Travis and he weakly smiled at her, trying to show her he was sorry for his brother's actions. She placed her hand on his shoulder then looked over at Derek and noticed he was really tense. She bit her bottom lip nervously then Derek looked over at her and pulled her in for a hug while resting his head on top of her own.

"I don't want you near him anymore" he said. Claire looked at him confused and he sighed while kissing the top of her head. "He's bad news Claire. I know that he's your brother Travis, but I don't trust him at all around my sister"

Travis nodded then they walked back to the apartment to work on the rumour about Naomi.

_**GOSSIP**_

"Travis, you're doing it again" Claire said.

"Sorry" he said as he put his camera down.

"It's okay Travs but, it does make me feel a bit awkward. I know you're thinking about last night so talk"

He looked away from her shyly and she smiled while sitting forward and grabbing his hands. He looked up at her then cleared his throat before looking away. She tilted her head to the side in confusion then realised why he was nervous so she grabbed her robe and put it on so she wasn't showing her underwear to him. She let out a deep breath then sat next to him and looked at his camera. Travis snuck a glance over at her then placed his hand on his neck to feel the necklace Claire made him when they first met. He sighed then dropped his hand and took the camera away from her before standing up and walking over to his computer.

"Okay you can ignore what happened but please don't ignore me" Claire said as she played with the end of her robe. "You're my closest friend Travis I don't want to lose you"

"I don't normally do this Claire" he said as he looked over at her.

"What don't you do?" she asked confused.

"I don't normally hang out with the women I sleep with"

"If it makes you feel better, I don't normally sleep with my friends" she replied.

He smiled at her then motioned her over and she grinned while walking over to him. He sat on the edge of the chair then pulled her down next to her so he could show her the screen of the computer. She rested her head on his shoulder then watched as he pulled up the pictures he just took of her and started to change the colour and crop them.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

"I'm going to make a collage" he answered, "With different colours, shapes and pictures. I'm going to kind of make it like a timeline of when I met you and how much you have changed over the years. I had this idea of turning you into some kind of angel that proves your freedom"

"You're so cute when you talk about art" she grinned.

He bit the side of his thumb to try and hide his smile then they both looked up as Jones walked in the room angrily. She glared at Claire then looked over at Travis and stood in front of the computer. Claire raised an eyebrow at the other female's behaviour but was ignored and shook her head.

"Travis we need to talk" Jones said urgently.

"I'm kind of busy" he said. She rolled her eyes in frustration then walked over to a huge painting of Naomi and ripped it down the middle.

"Now Travis!" she snapped before walking out of the room.

Travis looked over at Claire and she shrugged her shoulders in response before standing up and walking out of his room and to the main room. He bit his bottom lip then saved his work and followed the girls lead.

"So what is this all about?" Claire asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You and your brother have been lying to us" Jones answered.

"What are you on about?" Derek asked as he walked down the stairs.

"They know Naomi" she answered.

"Well I wouldn't want to make a rumour about some random person" Claire said.

"No, you two went to school with her. I went to Vermont and saw pictures of you three together in the school newsletter"

Claire shook her head with a laugh then Derek walked over to the bar and made himself a drink. Claire sat on the couch and watched in amusement as Jones tried to get Travis out of the rumour. He looked over at Claire then took a drink from her brother before walking over to her and sat next to her.

"Why are you picking their side?" Jones asked in disbelief, "They have been lying to us since this rumour started. Derek is the one who raped Naomi and now he's trying to blame someone else for it. Come on Travis you're smarter than this, you have to know what's right"

"I don't know" he whispered while holding his drink to his forehead.

She angrily shook her head then threw her drink to the ground and stormed out of the room. Claire looked at her sadly then over at her brother and he shook his head and she nodded while standing up. Travis looked up at her confused and she smiled while messing up his hair. He playfully pushed her hand away then Claire went into her room and decided to do a bit of homework.

_**GOSSIP**_

Claire was sitting in the park when she saw Naomi staring at her with a glare. She stood up then walked towards her and Naomi took a small step back in fear but stopped and stood up straight. Claire crossed her arms over her chest and put all her weight onto her left leg.

She was different, Naomi noticed. Claire was more confident now than she was when they were in High School. Her hair had also changed, it used to be down to her waist and always straight. Now it was just past her shoulders and had a slight wave to it, even her eyes had become a few shades darker. She was thinner now as well.

"You've changed a lot" Naomi said, "You used to be chubby"

"I'm not the only one that's changed" Claire replied, "You turned slutty. Saying that you were going to save yourself for marriage, but now you had sex with three guys at a meat packing district. You were never like that"

"You're one to talk. Becoming someone's personal whore"

"At least I know who I slept with"

"What about my sixteenth birthday Claire? Do you remember what happened that night?"

"Don't you dare bring that night up" Claire growled.

"You screamed for your brother. But he wasn't there was he? He was busy fucking the school's nurse instead of looking out for you" Claire looked away from her sadly and Naomi smirked while placing her hands on her hips. "The only member of your family who you thought you could trust, and he wasn't there to save you"

"Shut up" Claire croaked.

"Am I hurting your feelings Webb? You know how it feels now don't you? I know that you have something to do with this. I mean, who else could come up with a rape story better than a rape victim? The rumour sounds a lot like how you were raped"

"I said shut up!"

Naomi grinned at her then gasped as Claire tackled her to the ground and grabbed her hair. Naomi cried out in pain then Claire started to hit her head on the ground but soon got thrown off her. She groaned in pain as she fell on a rock then Naomi jumped on her and started to choke her with her hands. Claire tried to pry her hands off her but Naomi tightened her grip and growled.

"You ruined my life! You were my friend and you turned your back on me. I have never wanted someone dead so much than I have wanted you dead!"

"Get off me" Claire snarled.

"No! You picked your brother over me. Your brother left you, but you still chose him over your best friend!" Naomi screamed.

Claire tried to grab a nearby rock but couldn't reach it and she looked around fearfully. She then remembered the rock she fell on so she grabbed that and hit Naomi across the head with it. She cried out in pain while falling off her and Claire gasped for breath while looking up at the sky. She looked over at Naomi then stood up and placed her hands on her neck to check for scratches.

"You need to get over it Naomi" Claire said as she traced her scratch marks, "What happened between us was in the past. Derek and I were happy here, we forgot what happened but then you ruined it by turning up. Why the hell would you come to this college of all places? You should just leave"

"No" Naomi groaned.

"I am not asking you, I am telling you. I never want to see you again. You leave my school, you leave my town and you leave my family alone"

Naomi glared at her then weakly pulled herself up and watched angrily as Claire walked away from her once again.

_**GOSSIP**_

It was night and Claire was busy drinking at the bar when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder. She looked up and grinned as she noticed it was Travis. He smiled at her then ordered himself a drink as he sat down next to her.

"Where were you after Jones left?" he asked.

"I went to the park" she answered, "I bumped into an old friend and was reminded of the worst night of my life"

"What happened to your neck? Did you get attacked?"

"She choked me" she laughed. Travis looked at her concerned but she ignored the look and continued to laugh. "That crazy son of a bitch tried to kill me"

"You're alive so she didn't succeed. How much have you had to drink?"

"Just a few I swear" he raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed while holding her head in her hands. "Am I a bad friend Travis?"

"No"

"Then why do I feel like shit right now? Naomi was my friend and I didn't believe her when she said my brother raped her. She needed me but I left her. That makes me a horrible friend"

Travis looked at her sadly then sighed and grabbed her hand. Claire looked over at him tiredly and he smiled while rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. She lifted her head up then moved over to him and hugged him tightly while hiding her face in the crook of his neck. He awkwardly placed his hands on her back and was shocked when he felt her tears on his neck. He patted her back then the bartender came over and smiled at the young couple.

"I think you should take her home mate" he said, "She's been here since two this afternoon"

"How many has she had?" Travis asked.

"I don't know I only just started my shift. You would need to ask the guy before me"

Travis nodded while thanking him then half led, half dragged Claire out of the bar. She smiled up at him then giggled as she stumbled on her own feet. He rolled his eyes with a smile then called out for a taxi so they could get back to the apartment easier.

_I hope you guys liked the interaction between Naomi and Claire. It kind of gives a little bit of background between the two._

_The next chapter a lot more about Claire's past will be told to you guys, so I hope you will like that._

_Please review._


	7. Chapter 7

_**iliv3bymu5ic: **__Thanks for reviewing; I hope this update made you happy._

_**thedogisgone: **__I hope that this chapter helps you. There is going to be a bit more flashbacks further in the story but this chapter is mainly focused on the friendship of Claire and Naomi._

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip but I do own my oc Claire._

_This chapter is just random flashbacks of when Claire and Naomi were friends. I want to show how good their friendship was when they were younger._

_Please review_

"_Claire Webb, get your butt in here right now!" Derek shouted angrily._

_Claire looked over at her best friend Naomi then smiled and stood up. Naomi quietly laughed to herself then Claire walked over to her brother and noticed he had his arms across his chest and a glare on his face. She bit her bottom lip nervously then realised why her brother was angry and her eyes went wide with fear. She went to run away from him but he grabbed her from around her waist and pulled her back. She tried to get out of his grip while laughing but he held her tighter and threw her onto the couch._

"_I'm going to leave" Naomi said as she stood up, "I'll see you at school tomorrow Claire"_

"_By Naomi" she replied._

_Derek waited for Naomi to leave and when she closed the door, he looked back at his sister with a glare. "Why the hell did you do that? You do know how much I like Jessica right? Now she won't even look at me"_

"_I'm saving her some humiliation" Claire replied, "You would have cheated on her"_

"_No I wouldn't" he said. Claire crossed her arms over her chest while raising an eyebrow and he sighed while rubbing his face. "I wouldn't cheat on her as much. Besides, I think that I could have lasted a bit longer than usual"_

"_So, a month?" she teased._

"_Maybe longer" he answered honestly. She stared at him in shock and he sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. She looked away from him sadly then he pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Hey, maybe you were right about this. Although, I want to know whose bra you used though"_

"_Oh, I used mum's bra"_

_He stared at her in shock then she screamed as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He laughed as he ran outside then spotted a huge puddle so he ran over to it and threw his sister in it. She gasped as she sat up then glared at him and he winked at her. Claire splashed some of the dirty water at her brother then stood up and wiped the water away from her face. Derek smiled at his younger sister then they heard their parents calling them._

"_I'll race ya" Derek said._

"_You'll lose" Claire replied._

_He scoffed then gasped as she pushed him out of the way and ran to their parents. He laughed then followed Claire and they playfully shoved each other as they ran._

_**GOSSIP**_

"_My baby sister is turning sixteen" Derek said as he walked into the house, "Where's my hug bitch?"_

"_Derek, do not use that language in this house. And do not call your sister that word" his mother scolded._

"_It's fine mum" Claire said as she hugged Derek, "It's just a joke"_

"_It is an insult" she replied._

"_Hey, where's dad?" Derek asked as he looked around. Claire looked down sadly and he instantly thought the worst happened, considering that their dad spoke about nothing but his daughter's party all month. "Oh my god, what happened?"_

"_He's not dead" Claire answered, "Nothing bad happened to him. His assistant screwed up with work that was due yesterday and daddy is the only one who can fix it. He asked for an extension but he couldn't get one because he would get fired. His boss told him that he should have told the assistant how to do the work properly and the company lost ten thousand dollars"_

"_So, he might not come tonight?" he asked._

"_We're not sure yet" she answered sadly._

_He nodded as he hugged her then pulled away with a smile. "I have something that will cheer you up"_

_Claire tilted her head to the side in confusion then Derek ran to the door and picked something up from the ground. He walked back into the house then handed the huge square present to his sister and she looked at him in shock. He winked at her then they sat on the ground and she quickly opened the present and screamed in surprise as she saw the present. Derek laughed at her reaction then pulled his legs up to his chest while Claire pulled her present out of the box._

"_Where did you get it?" she asked._

"_Simon was giving them away so I got one for you" he answered._

_She smiled at her present then held it tightly against her chest and the puppy barked at her. She laughed as it licked her face then put it down and hugged Derek tightly while kissing his cheek. He placed his hand on her back as he ruffled her hair, then the puppy jumped between them and barked. They laughed while pulling away then Claire picked the puppy up and held its face close to her own._

"_What should I name you little one?" she asked._

"_Name him after me" Derek answered._

"_I don't want him to become a player. I think I might call him Seth"_

"_Seth? Where did you get that name from?"_

"_I like the name. It also suits him because he's a Doberman"_

_Derek sighed in defeat then someone knocked on the door. Claire stood up with Seth in her arms then ran to the door and smiled as she saw Naomi. The two friends happily hugged each other, and then Naomi gasped as she saw the puppy in Claire's arms. Claire laughed as she put Seth down then Naomi walked in and Derek winked at his sister's blonde friend. Claire rolled her eyes as she grabbed some food but stopped when Derek placed his hand on her wrist. She looked up at him confused then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her outside._

"_Naomi's the same age as you isn't she?" he asked._

"_She's a few months younger" she answered. He nodded with a grin and she scoffed as she pushed him away from her. "I can't believe you. It's my birthday and all you can think about is getting your dick wet. You're disgusting!"_

"_I didn't say I wanted sex with her. I just think she's hot"_

_She rolled her eyes then went back inside the house and saw Naomi sitting on the couch with Seth on her lap. She smiled as she sat next to her then gasped as she gave her a small present._

"_Naomi, you didn't have to get me anything"_

"_It's your birthday, of course I had to get you something"_

_Claire smiled then opened the present and her eyes went wide with shock as she saw the necklace. "Naomi, I can't take this. It looks too expensive"_

"_I would be insulted if you didn't have it" Naomi said with a smile._

"_What have you got their sweetheart?" Claire's mum asked._

"_A necklace" she answered, "But it's too expensive, I can't have it"_

"_Oh my god, Claire if you don't take the necklace I am not going to let you ride in my dad's car"_

"_I'd take the necklace" Derek said as he came up behind the girls, "It would be good to see my two favourite girls together in a fancy car"_

"_Fine, but Naomi you can't get me anything expensive ever again"_

"_You say that now"_

_Both girls laughed then Claire put on the emerald encrusted heart necklace and rubbed Seth's stomach._

_**GOSSIP**_

_Claire was sitting on a bench in the park staring at the ground when she heard footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder and smiled as she noticed it was Naomi, but her smile left her face as soon as she the look on her best friend's face. She got off the bench then walked over to Naomi and wrapped her arms her as she started crying._

"_Naomi, what happened?" she asked._

"_He raped me" she cried. Claire looked at her confused and Naomi hid her face in her hands as she continued to cry._

"_Who raped you?"_

"_Your stupid brother"_

"_No, Derek wouldn't do something like that" Claire said as she stood up. "You're lying. It must have been someone who looked like him. Derek may be an asshole but he would never rape someone, he's better than that. Besides, he's your boyfriend and you love each other. He would never hurt someone he loves"_

"_That's what you thought last year. But look what happened" Naomi stated angrily, "You thought your boyfriend loved you and wouldn't hurt you"_

"_Yeah, I thought he loved me" she replied, "But he didn't. I know that Derek loves you. You're just trying to get attention. It's just like you. Oh, poor Naomi Preston isn't getting any attention, so she's going to make up a stupid story. You're pathetic"_

_Naomi looked at her in shock then Claire gasped and covered her mouth in shock. She went to place her hand on Naomi's shoulder but Naomi slapped her across the face and Claire looked down sadly. "Don't, you dare call me pathetic! It is not a stupid story. I didn't hang shit on you when you got raped at my party last year. I came to you asking for help. How could you?"_

"_Naomi, just try to calm down"_

"_I will not calm down" Claire went to say something but Naomi cut her off. "Why would you go along with that if you knew it would hurt me?"_

"_What are you talking about?" Claire asked confused._

"_Derek told me you planned it. I hate you, get away from me!"_

_Naomi wiped her tears away then ran away from Claire. Claire looked at her confused then growled and headed back to her house to speak with Derek._

_When Claire got home she opened the door and walked inside but stopped when she saw her parents glaring at her. She looked around for her brother then saw him sitting on the couch while holding his head. Her parents told her to sit so she sat next to Derek and nervously played with her hands._

"_What's going on?" she whispered to Derek._

"_Be quiet" their dad ordered._

"_I haven't done anything wrong" she replied._

"_Naomi told us what happened" he said, "We've called the cops and they should be here any minute now"_

"_I didn't do anything though" Claire said, "Naomi only just told me"_

"_You're a disgrace to this family!" her mum shouted._

"_Easy Ellie" their dad said, "Let's not jump to conclusions"_

"_Naomi told us that our son raped her and that our daughter planned it" she replied, "We did not raise our kids like that! I don't want them living under this roof anymore. You two are old enough to move out. I do not want you here anymore"_

"_Mum" Claire gasped._

"_Fine by me" Derek said, "I've already been looking for some places. And I'm going to take Claire with me. Be better than staying in this shithole"_

"_Derek!" their dad snapped._

_Claire shook her head then ran into her room and slammed her door shut. She fell on her knees then hid her face in her hands and cried. There was a faint knocking on her door so she stood up and slightly opened the door and noticed it was Derek. She looked down sadly then he walked into her room and pulled her in for a hug. She hugged him back straight away and cried into his neck. He sighed as he stroked her hair then wrapped his free arm around her waist and held her tightly against his chest._

_His life was over, Derek knew that. He could accept it as well. But he didn't want his sister to have the same life as him. He was going to do everything he could to help his sister, so he was planning on leaving the house that night with her._

"_Derek" she whispered._

"_I'm here" he replied._

"_What are we going to do? I didn't do anything to Naomi. I only snapped at her saying she wanted attention because she brought up last year. I was angry"_

"_I don't want you to worry about it" he answered as he kissed the top of her head. "Pack your stuff. We're going to leave tonight. You're going to live with me in a small apartment until we can find another place"_

"_I think I can do that" she muttered._

_He nodded as he pulled away from her then placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked down sadly and he sighed while rubbing her shoulders. He looked over his shoulder then shook his head and helped his little sister onto the bed. Claire nervously played with her hands while bitting her bottom lip and Derek sighed as he stroked her hair. He stared at the wall in thought then smiled and stood up and placed his hands on his hips._

"_I'm going to pack. Only pack your favourite clothes, we can buy more" he said._

"_I love you Derek" she whispered._

"_I love you to Claire"_

"_I'd hope so; otherwise living with you would be awkward" she teased._

_He smiled at her then walked out of the room and packed some of his clothes. He ignored the looks his parents were giving him and hurriedly packed the clothes, knowing that he would have to leave the state so get out of the hell he and his sister were thrown in._

_**Sorry it's been a while, but I've had writers block and I couldn't think of anything to write.**_

_**In this chapter I mainly wanted to show how close Claire and Naomi were until the fight, and how close Claire is with Derek.**_

_**Please review.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**iliv3bymu5ic: **__Thanks for reviewing; I hope this update made you happy. For the last chapter I used a bit of my own experiences of betrayal._

_**Cc4bbc2003: **__Are you serious? That's kind of creepy but really cool lol._

_I don't own anything that belongs to Gossip but I do own my oc Claire._

_Please review_

Claire was sitting in her room, writing an essay for one of her professor's when she heard the front door open. She looked over her shoulder and smiled as she realised it was Travis, so she got out of her chair and walked over to him. He looked over at her and she was taken back as she saw how pale he looked. Instantly her first thought was Mac and that he had done something. Claire opened her mouth to speak but Travis shook his head at her before looking down again. She bit her bottom lip nervously and watched as he walked towards Derek and Jones who were talking to each other at the table.

"Hey Travis look what I got" Derek said with a laugh. He unfolded a picture and Claire let out a small gasp as she saw Naomi dressed up as Glenda the witch. Derek laughed again then walked over to Travis and gave him the picture. "Could put it on your wall for some inspiration"

"How did you get that?" Claire asked shocked.

"She gave it to me" Derek answered grinning. It was then Claire noticed the cuts on his cheek.

"Did she give you those cuts as well?"

"Did you guys hear what happened?" Travis asked quietly.

"No, we just got up" Jones answered.

"Naomi's dead" Travis stated.

"What?" the siblings asked shocked.

"What do you mean dead?" Jones asked.

"They found her body this morning. She killed herself" Travis answered.

Claire sat on the couch in shock then Derek screamed and punched a wall. Travis and Jones looked at Derek in surprise then he stormed out of the room. Travis and Jones looked at each other concerned then Jones said she would go after Derek. Travis nodded as he sat next to Claire then Jones left. Claire pulled her legs up to her chest then rested her head on her knees while Travis nervously chewed on the side of his thumb. He looked over at her then sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her into his chest.

Even though Claire's last encounter with Naomi was a bad one, she was still upset about the sudden death of her old friend. They weren't close like they used to be, but it still hurt Claire to lose someone so suddenly.

"Claire?" Travis asked quietly.

"She's gone Travis" she whispered, "She's gone and I'm responsible"

"You're not responsible" he said rubbing her back, "She chose to take her own life. You didn't walk up to her and tell her to commit suicide. You couldn't have known Claire; it's a shock to everyone"

"We got into a fight before" she said as she looked up at him. Travis looked over at her and was taken aback as he noticed the tears and regret in her eyes. "We fought over what happened in the past. I should have been there for her back then. But I chose Derek over her because he's family. He wasn't there for me Travis; he was never there for me really unless I was in a lot of trouble. Naomi was always there for me. She was like my sister but I chose Derek"

"Would you pick Naomi if you could turn back time?" he asked, unsure of what exactly to say.

"Yes" she answered straight away, "I would pick her in a heartbeat. If I told her that, she wouldn't have done it"

Travis sighed as he pulled her onto his lap and she hid her face in the crook of his neck. He hesitated for a bit then stroked her hair as she cried. He'd seen other people do this, so he hoped it would work for Claire.

_**GOSSIP**_

Claire decided not to go to class the next day so Travis decided to stay with her. He didn't stay by her side though. He thought that it would be better if she was alone for a while, but still know that he was there for her. He could hear her crying from his room and he sighed as hit a picture frame of Naomi with a hammer. He looked around the room as he lit up a smoke then rubbed his bottom lip before standing up.

Travis was going to help Claire feel better. He didn't really know how, but he was going to try his best. He didn't like seeing, or hearing, her so upset over something that wasn't really her fault. They hadn't heard from Derek or Jones in a while, so Travis was going to be as quick as he could be.

"Claire?" he asked as he walked into her room.

"I don't want to talk Travis" she said into her pillow.

"I don't either. I just want to help"

Claire looked over at him confused then he climbed onto the bed and lay down next to her. She sighed as she rolled over to her side and he smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to his body.

"What is it Travis?" she asked.

"I don't like seeing you upset. And I keep thinking about the other night" he answered shyly. Claire bit her bottom lip nervously and he awkwardly smiled before rubbing his bottom lip, "I was thinking that maybe we could. You know what, forget it"

"No, I want to" Claire said as she caught on what he was suggesting.

"What?"

"You're not the only one who's been thinking about it Travis. It will take my mind off of things I guess"

"Are you serious?"

She nodded then gasped as he slammed his lips against her own. She smiled as she kissed him back then he rolled them over so he was on top of her. Claire pulled away from the kiss then undid the buttons of his coveralls while Travis started to kiss her neck. She groaned as she felt him grind his hips against her then pulled his coveralls down to his waist. Travis awkwardly pulled them off and Claire laughed as they got stuck around his ankles.

"Relax" she said as she sat up, "There's no need to rush"

"Sorry, I still feel awkward about this" he said as he kicked his coveralls off, "I told you I'm not used to this"

"Then I guess you will have to get used to it" she replied.

"Yeah, I guess I do" he smiled.

Claire nodded in agreement as she lifted off his shirt then sat up and removed her own shirt. She smiled as she removed her bra and inwardly laughed as Travis stared at her chest. Claire grabbed his hands then made them touch her breasts and he let out a nervous breath. Travis went to open his mouth but shut it and licked his bottom lip before pulling away from her and pinning her to the bed. Claire laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck then Travis undid her pants and pulled them off.

It was true that Travis was still nervous, but he didn't want Claire to know that. He knew he wasn't strong and brave like most men, but he was strong in his own way. He was going to prove to Claire that he could be stronger, and not let people stand over him. He was also going to be in control tonight.

"Travis" Claire gasped as he started to finger her.

"Did I surprise you?" he teased. She nodded while biting her bottom lip and he smiled as he added a second finger. She whimpered while closing her eyes then Travis started to kiss her exposed neck. "You're so wet" he whispered.

"That's what happens when someone figures you" she groaned.

"You were already wet before I even started" he replied.

She whimpered again then Travis pulled his fingers out of her and removed his boxes. He moaned as he sprang free then hovered over Claire and she opened her eyes. He smiled as he fisted himself then slowly pushed himself inside her wetness. Claire gasped while arching her back and Travis moaned as she raised her hips. He helped her wrap her legs around his waist then started to thrust his hips against hers. Claire dug her nails into his shoulders and they both groaned as Travis picked up his pace and started to go harder.

Travis hid his face in the crook of Claire's neck then started to suck on her pulse and she let go of his shoulders to grab his hair. Travis moaned onto her neck as the sensation then Claire took him by surprise as she rolled them over so she was straddling him. He looked up at her with a smile then Claire grabbed his hands and made him hold onto her hips. Travis sighed as he took in her body then groaned as she started to ride him. He held her hips tighter as he raised his own and she laughed before moaning.

"You like that?" he whispered breathlessly.

"Yeah" she answered with a smile, "Again"

He nodded as he repeated the action and she moaned his name. Travis groaned then rolled them over again and rammed himself inside her as hard as she could. Claire yelped in surprise from the sudden action then Travis grabbed her hands and held them above her head while lacing their fingers together. Claire raised her head then kissed his jaw and he smiled before kissing her. He forced his tongue into her mouth and Claire moaned as she raised her hips again. Travis closed his eyes as he let his tongue dance with Claire's then felt the familiar sensation go through his body and he pulled away from the kiss.

"Claire, I'm close" he whispered.

"Same here" she replied, "Go faster"

He nodded as he went faster and Claire cried out his name as she came. He pushed in her a couple of more times then groaned as he released into her. Travis arched his back and he moaned then fell onto Claire's chest breathing heavily. She smiled as she stroked his hair and he looked up at her while returning the smile, but then frowned and quickly pulled away from her. Claire looked at him confused and he felt his eyes go wide at a sudden realisation.

"I didn't use a condom" he said shocked, "Fuck! Claire, I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry"

"Travis, it's okay" she said as she grabbed his hands.

"No, it's not. You could get pregnant, and then Derek will find out and he will kill" his sentence was interrupted by Claire kissing him. He happily kissed her back then she pulled away and he let out a deep breath. "Me"

"He won't kill you" she said as she played with his hair, "If you don't want Derek to find out, we don't have to tell him"

"But what if you get pregnant?" he asked.

"I'm on the pill, so relax" she answered. He sighed in relief and Claire laughed while continuing to play with his hair. "Why are you so worried about me getting pregnant? Do you not want a child?"

"No, I would love to have one with you" he answered quickly, not realising what he just admitted, "I just don't have the money and we're still in college"

"What, so when we finish college you want to have a child with me?"

"Not with you" he answered, "I mean, yes. No. I want a child but I don't know"

"Travis, you need to relax" Claire laughed, "I'm just teasing you. Come on; let's have a beer and a smoke"

"I like the sound of that" he whispered.

"I thought you might"

He smiled at her then they both got dressed before heading up to the roof to have a beer and a smoke.

_**Gossip**_

When Derek got home he heard his roommates and sister talking to each other. He raised and eyebrow then walked down the stairs and saw them standing at the kitchen. He leaned against the rail of the stairs then smiled as his sister spun around and looked up at him.

"There you are" she said, "I thought you left the country. Why didn't you return my calls?"

"The battery died" he shrugged.

"Well, the cops came and they were asking about you"

"What did they want to know?"

"I got asked about where you were last night, so I told them you were at Naomi's" Jones answered.

"What? Jones what the hell did you do that for?"

"I'm not going to lie to the cops" she replied as she walked into her room, "I'm over all this gossip and lying"

Derek sighed in frustration then looked over at his sister and furrowed his eyebrows as he realised how close she was standing to Travis. He walked down the stairs quietly then quietly growled as Travis played with her hair. He cleared his throat and they looked over at him while smiling innocently, it was then he knew. He knew that Travis was the one who was sleeping with his sister. It all made sense now. The sudden closeness in their friendship, the happiness from both of them in the past few days and the little spring in each step Travis took. His best friend was sleeping with his sister behind his back.

From the look in Derek's eyes, Travis knew that Derek knew and he got nervous. He looked over at Claire for help but she was busy cooking dinner and he rubbed his bottom lip while looking up at Derek. It was going to be a long night and Travis knew that.

"Travis, can I speak with you for a moment?" Derek asked calmly.

"Sure" he answered.

_I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but I am back on track with things now. I will try to post the next chapter up quicker so you're not left with that much of a cliffhanger._

_Please review._


End file.
